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1961 Plymouth Asimmetrica Roadster by Ghia

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 24-25, 2018

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

While based on one of their chassis, this is no hum-drum Plymouth Valiant. This car, dubbed “Asimmetrica” for its asymmetrical design, was one of the last projects kicked off between Chrysler and Ghia during Virgil Exner‘s design reign at Chrysler. Or, at least that’s the thought. Some people say this was a Ghia thing all around.

Built as kind of a successor to the Plymouth XNR Concept, this was supposed to be a “more realistic” car that could actually be built in limited numbers and sold to the general public. Yes, this was the restrained version. The plan was to build a run of 25 of these, but it’s thought that only two were ever made.

Power comes from a NASCAR-spec 2.8-liter Hyper-Pak slant-six making 101 horsepower. Displayed at the 1961 Turin Motor Show and, later, the Geneva Show, this example was purchased off the Geneva stand by novelist Georges Simenon. Acquired and restored by the Blackhawk Collection in 1989, the current owner purchased the car in 2000. A wild example of unrestrained early 60s design, it should bring decent money in Monterey. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

The 1935 line was called the Model PJ and it was available in three trims: the Standard Six, the Business Six, and the Deluxe. There were nine body styles offered on the Deluxe trim. Some of them were quite common, and others quite rare. But for the day, they were all inexpensive.

This particular car found its way to Switzerland where it was bodied by Tüscher in Zurich (they’re still around, building bus bodies). This was not the only 1930s Plymouth that they turned into an opulent convertible, either. You have to admit, this car looks downright diplomatic. I don’t have the exact history of its use or ownership, but the catalog listing does say it was very expensive when new, so it probably went to someone special.

It’s powered by a 3.3-liter straight-six that makes 82 horsepower. The restoration looks fantastic and is 10 years old. It should bring between $86,000-$96,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Five Classic American Pickup Trucks (and one Canadian)

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 5-13, 2018

1939 Chevrolet Master Pickup

Photo – Mecum

The Chevrolet Master was produced between 1933 and 1942. After the war their model names would change, but the pickup truck had been part of their lineup for some time prior to that. Their pickups from this era shared the same basic design as their passenger cars as they were all offered as part of the same model line.

This truck is powered by Chevy’s 3.4-liter straight-six, likely producing 85 horsepower. The dark green shortbed example you see here was restored about 1,500 miles ago and it has a wooden bed. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $30,000.

1939 Plymouth Model PT81 1/2 Ton Pickup

Photo – Mecum

Yes, Plymouth built pickup trucks (other than the Scamp and Arrow). Before WWII started, they built some beautiful pickups. They built the Model PT line of trucks between 1937 and 1941, with the 1939 model dubbed “PT81.”

This truck is powered by a 3.3-liter straight-six. It’s well optioned and wonderfully restored. PT Plymouth pickups aren’t that easy to come by and they’re some of the prettiest trucks you can get. You can see more about this one here.

Update: Sold $36,300.

1941 Ford 1/2 Ton Pickup

Photo – Mecum

Mecum finds some great old pickups for their sales. The 1941 Ford was introduced, obviously, in 1941 and was the same model they picked up after the war ended, producing it through 1948. But, their 1941 Pickup used the leftover styling from 1940. So this truck was part of the newer line of cars (with a new-for-’41 color, Lockhaven Green), but still looks like an older one.

The engine here is an 85 horsepower, 3.6-liter Flathead V-8. This example had a frame-off restoration that took it back to as-new condition… likely better-than-new. Ford pickups never go out of style, and this is a great one. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $32,000.

Update: Sold, Mecum Indy 2018, $37,400.

1957 Dodge D100 Pickup

Photo – Mecum

The 1957 Dodge pickups are great-looking trucks, especially the ultra-rare D100 Sweptside. As discussed in that post, the D100 was actually part of the C Series of pickups that Dodge offered between 1954 and 1960. The D100 was the 1/2 ton model.

In 1957, the engine was either a six or eight and this truck has the 5.2-liter Red Ram V-8 making 204 horsepower. And it. Is. Clean. This is a great color scheme for a truck, very 1957. The 1950s offered some pretty pickups, and this is no exception. See more here.

Update: Sold $55,000.

1959 Mercury M100 Pickup

Photo – Mecum

Yes, even Mercury got in on the pickup game after WWII. The Mercury M-Series was offered between 1946 and 1968. Sold primarily in Canada, these trucks more or less mirrored Ford’s American offerings with slightly different exterior styling.

This third generation truck is the Canadian equivalent of the Ford F100, meaning it’s the 1/2 ton model. Two engines were offered in 1959, a 3.7-liter straight-six or a 4.8-liter V-8, and this truck is equipped with the former. It’s a step-side pickup that presents well enough. This is an interesting truck and a rarity in the U.S. Click here for more.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $16,000.

1972 International 1210 Pickup

Photo – Mecum

International Harvester, now a company that builds tractors and semis, used to build passenger vehicles. The final examples rolled off the line in 1980, and those were SUVs. True pickup production ended in 1975 when they built their final example of the D-Series Light Line pickup rolled off the line. These trucks were built between 1969 and 1975.

This Model 1210 was the 3/4 ton model and it’s powered by a 6.4-liter V-8. It’s got 4-wheel drive and this example appears to be a survivor. International-branded pickups don’t get the credit they deserve in collector circles as everyone wants a Ford, Chevy or Dodge. These were the workhorse trucks. IHC would be doing good business today if they had remained in the market, but instead you’ll have to settle for a time capsule like this one. Click here for more info.

July was a lull in the auction world between a packed June and an always-huge August. We start this with H&H Classics at the Imperial War Museum. The top seller at this sale was this 1929 Bugatti Type 44 Saloon by Vanvooren that brought $258,555.

1963 Plymouth Savoy Max Wedge

Offered by Mecum | Portland, Oregon | June 16-17, 2017

Photo – Mecum

We’ve featured some of Mopar’s Max Wedge cars in the past and here is another one. The Max Wedge was the pre-Hemi, a 426 cubic inch monster and Chrysler stuffed it into a bunch of family cars to produce some of the best sleepers of the era. In this case, the 7.0-liter V-8 makes 415 horsepower.

The Savoy was produced between 1954 and 1964 in the U.S. and the final generation (1962-1964) was the smallest of Plymouth’s three full-size offerings. It could be had as a two-door coupe, four-door sedan, or four-door wagon. This particular car is not known to have been raced in period, but many were.

It’s mostly original, too, with just 16,000 miles on the odometer – but it has been repainted. Only 18 two-door Max Wedge Savoys were built in 1963. It’s not the most collectible big-engined Mopar, but it’s definitely one of the rarest. It should bring about $150,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Five Rare Mopars

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 6-15, 2017

1962 Dodge Dart 330 Max Wedge

Photo – Mecum

The second-generation of the Dodge Dart was downsized from a full-size car to a mid-size car. This generation was only built for 1962 before moving to a compact platform in 1963. Three trim levels were available: the base Dart, the mid-trim Dart 330, and the top-trim Dart 440.

1962 also happened to be the year that Chrysler released an engine dubbed the Max Wedge – a 6.8-liter V-8 making 410 horsepower. It was designed to make their cars monsters at the drag strip and in the early 1960s, American automakers were perfectly happy to build low-volume versions of their high-volume family cars to dominate the ¼-mile.

This two-door sedan – likely the only body style you could get this engine – has been fully restored and is an authentic Max Wedge car. Production numbers are hard to come by, but about 25,500 ’62 Dart 330s were built (total of all five body styles) and there were approximately 13,500 Two-Door Sedans built across all Dart trim levels. The closest estimate I have to the number of Max Wedge Darts is 210. This one should bring between $85,000-$110,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

1963 Dodge 330 Max Wedge

Photo – Mecum

The “330” was a trim line introduced by Dodge in 1962 and in 1963, they separated it off and it became its own model. Between 1963 and 1964 it was a full size Dodge before it was replaced by the Dodge 880 for 1965.

1963 was a good year for the Max Wedge as it was virtually unbeatable at the drag strip. The 7.0-liter V-8 put out 425 horsepower and was geared to go a quarter of mile at a time. This example has been beautifully restored and it is one of about 64,100 330s built in 1963. Of those, only 162 were fitted with this engine and this one should bring between $90,000-$120,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum.

Update: Sold $70,000.

1963 Dodge Polara 500 Max Wedge

Photo – Mecum

The Dodge Polara was a full-size Dodge and the second generation of the car was built between 1962 and 1964. For 1963, the Polara was available in two trim levels, the base Polara and the performance model dubbed the “500.” The Polara was essentially the same as the ’63 Dodge 440 except that it had backup lights. The 500 trim level added a base V-8, bucket seats and more interior niceties.

So what we have here is a 7.0-liter, 425 horsepower V-8 shoehorned into a well-appointed luxury two-door sedan. It was built as a customer order and never raced. It shows 36,000 miles and is one of about 39,800 Polaras produced in 1963. Of those, about 7,300 were Polara 500s and only fiveof those have the Max Wedge engine. This rarity will bring between $85,000-$115,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

1964 Dodge 440 Max Wedge Lightweight

Photo – Mecum

The 440 was a trim-line on the 1962 Dodge Dart and for 1963 and 1964 it became its own full-size Dodge. Five body styles were offered and this two-door hardtop coupe will actually seat six. It was a step up from the Dodge 330 but a step below the Dodge Polara.

The engine is a 425 horsepower, 7.0-liter Max Wedge V-8 and it’s also a factory Lightweight. It’s had unnecessary weight stripped out and lightweight panels added where appropriate. Coupled with the big engine, this was a drag strip beast. It’s one of only 10 such cars built and should bring between $200,000-$250,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $140,000.

1964 Plymouth Belvedere Max Wedge Lightweight

Photo – Mecum

The fifth generation Plymouth Belvedere was built between 1962 and 1964. For this generation the car got smaller and slotted in between the Savoy and the Fury. Offered in five body styles, this two-door hardtop could be had with a slew of engine choices.

But this example has a 7.0-liter Max Wedge V-8 making 425 horsepower. It was the final year for the Max Wedge engine before the “Hemi” made its debut. It’s a factory lightweight, so it has aluminium body panels in places. Fully restored to its correct color, this is one of just 14 Max Wedge Lightweights produced for the 1964 Belvedere. In all, 16,334 hardtop Belvederes were made in 1964. This one should bring between $125,000-$150,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum.

1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda Convertible

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 15-24, 2016

Photo – Mecum

The 1970-1971 Plymouth ‘Cudas are the best muscle cars. Yeah, that’s sort of a sweeping statement (and entirely opinion)… but it’s true. We’ve featured a 1970 Hemi ‘Cuda and a ’71 Hemi ‘Cuda Convertible (and a ’70 ‘Cuda Convertible that is supposed to look like a Hemi), but never a ’70 Hemi ‘Cuda Convertible. Which is what this car is.

Hemi ‘Cuda Convertibles are among the rarest of muscle cars: only 11 were built in 1971 and only 14 were built in 1970. That Hemi is a 7.0-liter V-8 rated at 425 horsepower. This car is one of five (of the 14) equipped with a four-speed manual transmission. On top of that, this car is loaded with options and was sold new in British Columbia.

It came back to the U.S. in 1999 and was restored. It’s covered a little over 27,000 miles in its life. Offered in factory-correct Lemon Twist paint, this car will easily break the million dollar mark. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum in Florida.

Back again for more highlights from October, beginning with H&H Classics’ sale at the Imperial War Museum. They had two high-profile Ferraris on auction at this sale and one of them, a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB, was far and away the top seller at $11,383,680.

Photo – H&H Classics

Both our feature cars sold, with the Pope-Tribune bringing $86,240 and the Rally $125,910. Click here for full results.

Next up, from the French Riviera Classic, Stanislas Machoïr’s sale. Our featured Cadillac NART Zagato failed to sell. The top seller here was this 1973 Porsche 911S for $148,700. Click here for full results.

Next up, Worldwide Auctioneers’ sale of the Ron Brown Estate Collection in Fredericksburg, Texas, where this 1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda was the top seller at $220,000. Complete results are here.

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

And finally, one of our favorite sales of the year, Bonhams’ London-to-Brighton sale. The top seller was this 1903 Clement Model AC4R Rear-Entrance Tonneau for $637,979. Of our feature cars, the MMC sold for $79,383 and the Stanley $61,742. Everything else was over $100k – including a previously-featured Winton for $199,416.